Cigarette transferring devices for cigarette making machines



March 8, 1960 w. RUDSZINAT 2,927,678

CIGARETTE TRANSFERRING DEVICES FOR CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 9, 1957 INVENTOR uds Z z nal v iz'forrzeys March 8,1960 w. RUDSZINAT 2,927,678

CIGARETTE TRANSFERRING DEVICES FOR CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINES Filed Sept. 9, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R00 M4 CH/NE DRIVEN B) CIGARETTE INVENTOR.

Jzfarneya United States Patent CIGARETTE TRANSFERRING DEVICES FOR CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINES Willy Rudszinat, Hamburg-Lohbrugge, Germany, assignor to Kurt Korber & Co. K.G., Hamburg-Bergendorf, Germany Application September 9, 1957, Serial No. 682,767

Claims priority, application Germany September 12, 1956 7 Claims. (Cl. 198-24) This invention relates to cigarette making machines, and particularly to a novel device for transferring cigarettes which are discharged lengthwise by a cigarette rod machine transversely to another machine, for instance, a filter cigarette making machine.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved device for transferring the cigarettes which leave the cigarette rod machine lengthwise to their longitudinal direction, to a cigarette receiving means on a filter cigarette making machine arranged transversely to said conveying means of the cigarette rod machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide the new transfer device with a parallel crank gearing actuating a cigarette engaging ram.

A further object of the invention is to provide a yielding connection between the ram and the crank gearing in order to eliminate any damage to the gearing by compensating the asymmetry in the spacing between the centers of the crank pins of said crank gearing due to an inaccurate adjustment and wear.

Another object of the invention is to provide a yielding connection between the crank pins and the supporting frame of said ram on the cigarette transfer device in the direction of the line connecting the two crank pins.

A still further object of the invention is to provide at least one yielding bearing surface for one of the crank pins in the supporting frame of the ram of the cigarette transfer device, said yielding surface extending lengthwise to the longitudinal direction of the crank gearing.

Another object of the invention is to provide an elastic supporting frame, so as to establish a yielding connection between the ram and the parallel crank gearing.

This last mentioned object of the invention can be preferably obtained by an appropriate selection of the material for said supporting frame, or by provision of a two-piece frame, and arrangement of the two parts in sliding relation to each other. It is also possible to provide a sliding connection between the supporting frame and one of the supports at one of the pivotal connecting points between the frame and the crank gearing.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a yielding connection between the supporting frame and the crank discs in the direction of the transfer movement of the ram. The location of the yielding connection in the parallel crank gearing can be selected in any desired manner: between the frame and the crank pin bearings, or between the crank pin bearings and the crank pins. The arrangement may be such that the parallel crank gearing is yieldable in longitudinal direction without influencing the movement of the ram and the supporting frame. This is preferably obtained by provision of an elastic means in the bearings of the crank pins, or by any other appropriate means.

Further objects and advantages will readily become apparent upon reading the following specification, taken 2,927,678 Patented Mar. 8, 1960 2 in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a plan view somewhat schematic of a modification of the inventive device for transferring c1garettes comprising an elastic lining in one of the crank pin bearings.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, partially in section of the device; and,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawing and more particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, the reference numeral 1 designates the ram which transfers the cigarettes 17 from the longitudinal conveying means 16 of the cigarette rod machine, said conveying means moving in the direction of the arrow A, onto a cigarette receiving means 18 of the filter cigarette machine which is disposed laterally, relative to said conveying means 16.

The ram performs hereby a rotating movement in the direction of the arrows B and C. In its movement the ram also follows the longitudinal movement of the cigarettes 17 while displacing same in lateral direction towards said cigarette receiving means 18. A frame 14 connects the ram 1 to the parallel crank gearing, which comprises two crank discs 2a and 2b rotatably connected to said frame 14 over two crank pins 3a and 3b, disposed in bearings 4a and 4b on said frame 14. The crank discs 20 and 2b are disposed on shafts 5a and 5b which are supported in bearings 6a and 6b provided in the housing 7. A driving shaft 8 which is also supported in said housing 7 is provided with driving gears 10a and 10b which are in engagement with worm gears 9a and 911 on said shafts 5a and 5b opposite the said crank discs 2a and 2b. The driving shaft 8 is driven by gears (not shown) from the main shaft of the cigarette rod machine.

If, during the movement of the ram 1, the crank 3a advances by a small amount relative to the crank pin 3b, the crank 3a will pass the dead center after the crank pin 311. Two straight lengths 11 and 12 are shown in Fig. l. The length 11 corresponds to the predetermined spacing, in case of symmetry, between the centers of the crank pin 3a and 3b, and the length 12 shows the increase in the spacing between the centers of crankpins 3a and 3b. One of the parts which are thus under heavy pressure, must yield by an amount equal to the difference between the lengths of 11 and 12, if a rapid deterioration of the parallel crank gearing should be avoided.

According to one modification of the present invention, the yielding arrangement of parts between the parallel crank gearing and the ram 1 can be obtained by eliminating the cross-connection 13 of the frame 14 in Figure 1 in accordance with the modification as shown at 14a in Figure 3. The cross-section 13 between the bearings 4a and 4b and the ram 1 is removed as shown in Figure 3 and the remaining structure forms a yielding frame 14a. This measure alone will already provide a substantial improvement when the material of the ram is not too rigid, for instance, aluminum. But other yielding materials such as the various plastic compounds are preferably used. It is also possible to provide the frame 14a in U-form as shown in Figure 3 in order to obtain the necessary elasticity of the device.

As shown in Figure 1, yielding means are provided between the bearing 4a and the corresponding crank pin 3a. This elastic means comprises an elastic lining 15 inserted between said bearing 4a and the crank pin 3a, disposed in the direction of the line connecting the crank pins. This elastic lining 15 will thus enable a relative movement between the rigid parts 4a and 3a in the desired direction.

It is satisfactory to provide an elastic connection on one of the bearings only. This elastic connection will yield only to such a small extent that the guidance of the frame 14 and the ram 1 will not be influenced to any undesirable extent.

While this decription discloses a specific structure of a parallel crank gearing for transferring cigarettes from a cigarette rod machine to a filter cigarette making machine, it is to be understood that the same has been described merely for the purpose of illustration, and that changes and modifications may readily be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a cigarette transfer device for cigarette rod machines to discharge the cigarettes laterally after they have been cut by the machine comprising a casing, a pair of vertical shafts in said casing arranged in spaced relation, worm gears on the lower ends of said shafts, a drive shaft in said casing provided with worm gears drivingly engaging said worm wheels, eccentric discs secured to the upper ends of said shafts, a ram operated by said discs, eccentric pivot pins on said discs, a frame structure having bearing portions for receiving said pins and supporting said ram member, yielding bearing elements of ovate section mounted between the bearing pins and said bearing pin openings, said frame structure being provided with a relatively long straight ram supporting portion having laterally extending arms at the ends thereof connecting the bearing portions of said frame member, and said relatively long straight portion of said frame being offset and arranged to extend parallel to a plane passing through said eccentric pivot pins, whereby said straight rarn portion support will be disposed to project the cut cigarettes fed from said cigarette machine and discharge the same laterally to a conveyor and displace the crank gearing from the line of travel of said cigarettes so that the same will not interfere with the driving connections of the transfer device, said ram being formed of a frame structure of lightweight flexible material.

2. In a cigarette transfer device for cigarette rod machines in which the cigarette rod is moved along a conveyor pathway after being cut to form cigarettes, comprising a cigarette receiving element disposed transversely of said conveyor pathway, a parallel crank gearing having a pair of crankpins in spaced apart relation and arranged on the side of said conveyor pathway opposite said receiving element, a ram operated by said crank gearing for transferring the cigarettes moving along said pathway to said receiving element, a supporting frame for said ram, said frame being provided with a straight ram supporting portion offset from and parallel to a plane passing through said spaced apart crankpins, said frame being composed of skeleton-like structure having lateral extending arms at the ends thereof provided with enlarged bearing portions having bearing openings for receiving the crankpins of said crank gearing, said crank gearing including a pair of eccentric crank supporting discs with their larger diameter portions arranged in opposed relation to the crankpins carried thereby, a driving shaft for rotating said eccentric discs in unison, and yielding bearing means for at least one of said crankpins to compensate for any distortions in the drive of said ram with respect to the distance between said crankpins due to inaccurate adjustment and wear, said yielding bearing member being of ovate section with its major axis extending in the direction of the plane between said crankpins.

3. A cigarette transfer device as set forth in claim 2 in which said ram supporting frame is formed of an elastic lightweight material capable of yielding in the area between said crankpins.

4. A cigarette transfer device as set forth in claim 2 in which said ram supporting frame and the bearing portions thereof are formed of light weight yielding material with the lateral arm portions capable of bending under stress and the skeletonized frame structure being capable of being compressed and deformed when the lateral arm portions are placed under a stress.

5. 'A cigarette transfer device as set forth in claim 2 in which said skeleton-like frame structure is substantially U-shaped to permit flexing thereof in the area between said crankpins when various frame portions are placed under stresses upon rotation of said crankpins, said frame being constructed of a lightweight metal such as aluminum.

6. A cigarette transfer device as set forth in claim 2 in which said yielding bearing is formed of elastic material such as rubber to provide a yielding connection between said elements in the direction of the line connecting the centers of said crankpins.

7. In a cigarette transfer device for cigarette rod machines in which the cigarette rod is moved along a conveyor pathway and cut to form cigarettes, comprising a cigarette receiving element disposed transversely of said conveyor pathway, a gear housing arranged on the opposite side of said conveyor pathway with respect to said receiving element, a pair of vertical parallel shafts journaled in spaced apart hearings in the top wall of said casing, a driven shaft extending into one end of said casing, gearing drivingly connecting said driven shaft to said vertical parallel shaft, a disc eccentrically mounted on the upper end of each of said vertical shafts with their greatest radius of eccentricity extending in the same direction, a ram frame having enlarged bearing portions at each end thereof for receiving bearing pins eccentrically secured to said eccentrically mounted discs, said ram frame including a straight portion extending parallel to said conveyor pathway and offset from a center line extending through the bearing pins, reinforcing portions connecting the bearing portions of said frame to said straight portion and elastic rubber bearing inserts between the bearing pins and bearing portions of said ram frame of ovate section with their major axis extending in the same plane and their minor axis arranged normal to the straight portion of said ram whereby upon rapid rotation of said bearing pins inaccuracies in adjustment of said pins will be compensated for.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 172,903 Adams Feb. 1, 1876 1,578,505 Fetzer Mar. 30, 1926 1,596,332 Bentley et a1 Aug. 17, 1926 1,726,249 Tarn Aug. 27, 1929 2,124,397 Gwinn et a1 July 19, 1938 2,176,485 Bronander Oct. 17, 1939 

